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Skills (Bonds of Blood)
Skills on the persistent world Bonds of Blood have some additional uses and restrictions as described here. Most notably, the ability to boost "minor" class skills through skill dumps is restricted. A check is made at every level-up to ensure that a character's skill ranks do not exceed what would be allowed by each of its classes, specifically 3 + class 1 levels (divided by 2 if cross-class) + class 2 levels (divided by 2 if cross-class) + class 3 levels (divided by 2 if cross-class). For example, a level 18/2 fighter/rogue is allowed 22 ranks in discipline because that is a class skill for fighters but not for rogues. That same character is allowed at most 14 ranks in hide since that skill is a cross-class skill for fighters (but a class skill for rogues). Bluff The bluff skill has a new use, namely "feint", a way to deny a creature its dexterity bonus to armor class by fooling it. This is accomplished by using (activating) the bluff action item. The DC of the bluff check is the target's hit dice + wisdom modifier + 1d20, with a possible bonus for low intelligence. If the target's intelligence less than 5, the DC is increased by +8; if less than 10, the DC is increased by +4. A fooled creature will lose its dexterity bonus to armor class for 1 round and can only be bluffed once every 10 rounds. Heal This world uses custom healer's kits. While these kits still cure poison and disease and heal hit points, the mechanics differ from standard kits. Diseases and poisons are cured if the user of the healer's kit makes a heal roll of the DC of the ailment (which will be at least 10). The maximum hit points that can be replenished with a healer's kit is 1d8 + heal skill/2. Intimidate The intimidate skill has a new use, causing creatures to be "shaken", which incurs a -2 penalty to attack rolls, saving throws, and abilities. This is accomplished by using the intimidate action item. The DC of the intimidate check is the target's hit dice + wisdom modifier + 1d20 + a size modifier (-4 for small, +4 for large). The shaken condition lasts for two rounds, plus an additional round for every 4 points by which the skill roll exceeded the DC (to a maximum of +5). The victim can only be intimidated once every 10 rounds. A target cannot be intimidated if the intimidator is invisible or the target is blind. Lore The identification of items with the lore skill entails an experience point cost when such identification is successful. The interface requires the use of an idem optical item, rather than the standard "examine" interface. The DC of the lore roll is the standard one set by BioWare. The idem optical can only identify items in the user's possession and items that are on the ground. Pick pocket The default pick pocket system is prohibited on this server. Players must use the new pickpocket action item to pick the pockets of another player or creature. Pickpockets can get gold from other players, and both gold and items from monsters. The amount of gold obtained ranges from 0 to half the pickpocket skill times half the target's challenge rating. (So with a pick pocket skill of 30 and a target of level 10, a player could obtain up to 15 × 5 = 75gp.) The skill checks involved in a pick pocket attempt are almost standard (e.g. DC 20 if the target is non-hostile; 30 if hostile), but hostile targets do not get the standard +10 to their opposed spot check. The chance of finding items on a monster is a percentage equal to the pickpocket skill. Stealth The true seeing spell has been changed so that it no longer counters stealth mode; the spell's target can only see invisible creatures, see through darkness, and gets an increased will save. True sight as a natural ability has been removed from the game. This makes hide in plain sight and stealth more valuable. There is an improved stealth mode tool. When this tool is activated the player is automatically put in stealth mode and disappears for a moment to hide from any creatures pursuing him. This serves as an excellent escape tool. When improved stealth mode is active, the normal stealth mode is used to disable it. This feature can only be activated if the player is not in plain sight of an enemy and the player succeeds at move silently skill checks opposed by each enemy's listen roll. Only rangers, shadowdancers, and assassins can hide while in plain sight with this device. Spellcraft/use magic device Casting a spell from a magical item may require a use magic device or spellcraft check. For these checks, there is automatic failure if a 1 is rolled (unlike usual skill checks). Failure to activate an item may result in a temporary supernatural penalty from the magical item backfiring. Some spells are prohibited from being cast from an item (or at least from scrolls, wands, and staffs) by means of the use magic device skill. That is, a player must have at least one level in a class that can cast these spells normally in order to use a magic device to cast them. The spells that verify class are acid sheath, aura of vitality, aura vs. alignment, Bigby's clenched fist, Bigby's grasping hand, black blade of disaster, blackstaff, bless weapon, blood frenzy, darkfire, deafening clang, dirge, divine favor, earthquake, elemental swarm, fire storm, flame weapon, gate, greater dispelling, greater planar binding, greater restoration, greater spell breach, greater spell mantle, greater stoneskin, holy sword, horrid wilting, magic circle against alignment, magic vestment, mass camouflage, mass heal, meteor swarm, mind blank, Mordenkainen's disjunction, owl's insight, premonition, protection from spells, raise dead, resurrection, shadow shield, shield of faith, storm of vengeance, timestop, undeath's eternal foe, and war cry. Most other spells can be cast from items by means of the use magic device skill as normal. However, there are some spells missing from the Bonds of Blood documentation as to whether or not they can be used with this skill. The undocumented spells are combust, divine power, dominate monster, endurance, feeblemind, flesh to stone, globe of invulnerability, harm, lesser mind blank, nature's balance, ray of frost, and stone to flesh. In addition, greater planar binding has been documented as both being allowed by any class with use magic device and being one of the spells that verify class. Tumble The tumble skill is now capped at 40 ranks. Furthermore, the armor class (AC) bonus from tumble has been made to not stack with natural AC bonuses (such as from amulets). This has been done to keep attack bonuses comparable to AC and because the pen and paper rules do not allow for an AC boost for every 5 tumble ranks. The maximum combined tumble and natural AC may not exceed character level/5 + 1, to a maximum of +8.